Gary Keown has criticized Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell for his dismissive response to the Rangers and Celtic controversy during the Scottish League Cup final.
Rangers were denied a decisive penalty at Hampden Park on Sunday, 15 December, when VAR officials Alan Muir and Frank O’Connor failed to intervene after Liam Scales appeared to foul Vaclav Cerny at the edge of the penalty area. The Gers ultimately lost the final in a penalty shootout, and although SFA referee chief Willie Collum later admitted the penalty should have been awarded, Keown directed sharp criticism at Maxwell in the Scottish Daily Mail on Sunday, 22 December.
Keown wrote: “The behavior of Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell this week raises serious questions about his suitability for the role. How could he dismiss the VAR’s failure to award a clear penalty in a national cup final as mere ‘human nature’ and suggest it’s not worth worrying about?
“He likened it to 20 fans in a room offering 25 opinions. Ridiculous. This isn’t about casual spectators—it’s about three top-level officials in a video suite failing to recognize a clear penalty when Liam Scales pulled Vaclav Cerny’s shirt inside the penalty box.
“Maxwell, who introduced VAR by calling it a ‘nightmare,’ has also made bizarre claims about Hampden potentially resembling Stuttgart’s Mercedes-Benz Arena. Frankly, he comes off as a former Partick Thistle general manager who can’t believe his luck earning a six-figure salary.”
Rangers Must Move Forward
Despite the controversy, Rangers can take pride in their performance. Entering the final as underdogs, they held their ground and arguably deserved to lift the trophy.
Although Muir and O’Connor were removed from officiating duties the following weekend—an implicit acknowledgment of their error—the result cannot be changed. Philippe Clement and his team must focus on moving forward, as dwelling on the incident will achieve little.
Rangers rebounded with a 1-0 victory over Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, 21 December, and Clement cannot afford to let frustration over the missed penalty derail their campaign.
While Maxwell will undoubtedly face scrutiny over one of the most significant officiating mistakes in recent memory, Rangers must build on their resilience. They matched the league leaders on the pitch and have an opportunity to close the SPFL gap when they host Celtic at Ibrox on 2 January.
